Pastel Blues

Pastel Blues
Studio album by Nina Simone
Released	October 1965
Recorded	New York City, March 21 April 1 & 6 1964 May 19 & 20 1965
Genre	Blues, vocal jazz, folk
Length	36:00
Label	Philips
Producer	Hal Mooney
Nina Simone chronology
I Put a Spell on You (1965) Pastel Blues (1965) Let It All Out (1966)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Pitchfork Media	8.7/10[2]
Sputnikmusic	[3]

Pastel Blues is a studio album by Jazz singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone. It was recorded in 1964 and 1965 in New York City and released in 1965 by Philips Records. The name Pastel Blues is somewhat deceiving because the songs on the album incorporate different musical styles besides the blues, such as jazz, soul and folk music.

Information about songs on this album

• "Be My Husband" was written by Andrew Stroud, Simone's husband and manager at the time. She sings it a cappella with her handclapping and a hi-hat as her only accompaniment. The song was later retitled as "Be Your Husband" and covered by Jeff Buckley on Live at Sine-é (2003). The song was also covered by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan on Rice's Live from the Union Chapel, sung by Hannigan while other band members beat on the backs of guitars and other instruments.
• "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" was originally sung by Bessie Smith. She was a blues singer in the 1920s/1930s and her songs had a great influence on Simone.
• "Tell Me More and More and Then Some" and "Strange Fruit" were originally sung by Billie Holiday.
• "Sinnerman" is one of Simone's most famous songs. Simone learned the lyrics of this more than 10 minute song when it was used on revival meetings by her mother to help people confess their sins. An earlier version of this song exists, recorded live at The Village Gate, but was never used on the Colpix album Nina at the Village Gate (1962). "Sinnerman" has been featured in various films, commercials and remixes, including The Thomas Crown Affair, Cellular, the Absinthe Films snowboarding video Futureproof, in episodes of the TV shows Scrubs, Sherlock, Person of Interest and The Blacklist, the David Lynch film Inland Empire, the video game Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, remixes by Hip-hop producer Kanye West, and Felix da Housecat (for Verve Record's Verve Remixed series). Bob Marley & The Wailers also recorded a slightly different version in 1966.

Track listing

1. "Be My Husband" (Andy Stroud) – 3:20
2. "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" (Jimmy Cox) – 2:38
3. "End of the Line" (John Edmondson, Cynthia Medley) – 2:54
4. "Trouble in Mind" (Richard Jones) – 2:40
5. "Tell Me More and More and Then Some" (Billie Holiday) – 3:08
6. "Chilly Winds Don't Blow" (Hermann Krasnow, William Lovelock) – 4:01
7. "Ain't No Use" (Rudy Stevenson) – 3:00
8. "Strange Fruit" (Lewis Allan) – 3:29
9. "Sinnerman" (Traditional; arranged by Nina Simone) – 10:19

Personnel

• Nina Simone – piano, vocals, arranger
• Al Schackman – guitar, harmonica
• Rudy Stevenson – guitar, flute
• Lisle Atkinson – bass
• Bobby Hamilton – drums

Charts

References

Nina Simone
Studio albums	Little Girl Blue Nina Simone and Her Friends The Amazing Nina Simone Forbidden Fruit Nina Simone Sings Ellington Broadway-Blues-Ballads I Put a Spell on You Pastel Blues Nina Simone with Strings Wild Is the Wind High Priestess of Soul Nina Simone Sings the Blues Silk & Soul Nina Simone and Piano To Love Somebody Here Comes the Sun Baltimore Fodder on My Wings A Single Woman
Compilation albums	Nina's Choice The Soul of Nina Simone The Very Best of Nina Simone
Live albums	Nina Simone at Newport Nina at the Village Gate Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall Folksy Nina Nina Simone in Concert Black Gold Live at Ronnie Scott's The Great Show Live in Paris Emergency Ward!
Live and studio albums	Nina Simone at Town Hall Let It All Out 'Nuff Said! It Is Finished
Remix albums	Remixed and Reimagined
Related articles	I Put a Spell on You (book) What Happened, Miss Simone?
Songs and singles "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" "Alone Again (Naturally)" "Angel of the Morning" "Ballad of Hollis Brown" "Baubles, Bangles, & Beads" "Black Is the Colour (Of My True Love's Hair)" "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" "Cherish" "Cotton-Eyed Joe" "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" "Exactly Like You" "Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)" "Feeling Good" "Fine and Mellow" "For All We Know" "Four Women" "Go Limp" "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" "Here Comes the Sun" "The House of the Rising Sun" "I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)" "I Loves You, Porgy" "I Put a Spell on You" "I Shall Be Released" "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" "If I Should Lose You" "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" "It Might as Well Be Spring" "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" "Just Like a Woman" "Lilac Wine" "Little Girl Blue" "The Look of Love" "Love Me or Leave Me" "Mississippi Goddam" "Mood Indigo" "The More I See You" "Mr. Bojangles" "My Baby Just Cares for Me" "My Sweet Lord" "My Way" "Ne me quitte pas" "Nobody" "Nobody's Fault but Mine" "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" "The Pusher" "Rich Girl" "(In My) Solitude" "Satin Doll" "Sea Lion Woman" "Sign o' the Times" "Since I Fell for You" "Sinnerman" "Someone to Watch Over Me" "Something Wonderful" "Spring Is Here" "Strange Fruit" "Summertime" "Suzanne" "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" "That's All" "That's All I Want from You" "The Times They Are a-Changin'" "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" "To Love Somebody" "Trouble in Mind" "Turn! Turn! Turn!" "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" "Wild Is the Wind" "Willow Weep for Me" "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To"
Book:Nina Simone